My colleague Judy Warren developed our “Living on Shaky Ground” preparedness class. She always started the class recounting her experience in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Judy was in a dressing room trying on clothes and the shaking caught her in a precarious state of near total undress. She described what happened, “I was thrown to the floor, the changing room wasn’t secured, so it toppled, too. The ceiling fixtures and tiles fell out of the suspended ceiling, so when I stood up, I was struck in the face. The emergency lights didn’t come on, so I was faced with finding my street clothes, purse and keys in total darkness. I eventually found my shoes. Then I had to feel my way out, trying to remember all the twists and turns in the hallway to get to the outside.”

Judy wasn’t injured, but it took three hours to work her way out of the debris. She was on her own — others in the store were hurt or trapped and no one was able to help her. By the time she made it home, she had completely rethought the importance of preparedness: “We can’t expect to be rescued or helped in short order by thinly-spread first responders or ‘the government’ in a large disaster — we have to plan and prepare ahead of time so we can help ourselves and our neighbors.”

So what can you do? At the very least, be sure you have an emergency plan and basic supplies. Ask yourself what hazards exist where you live or work? Are you in a tsunami zone? Go to myhazards.caloes.ca.gov/ or leave a message at 707-826-6019 and we will help you out. You can also request a free copy of “Living on Shaky Ground” with guidance on planning and supplies. Consider taking a First Aid Class, or join a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). Check out Prepare Del Norte at preparedelnorte.com/ or the Humboldt County CERT Coalition at www.facebook.com/groups/HumboldtCERTCoalition/.

Government has a role in making our communities resilient to disasters. Our tsunami warning system requires government expertise and resources. The Earthquake Early Warning System under development can only become reality with significant government investment. Legislation, zoning and incentives for building better structures are important parts of the preparedness toolkit. We are fortunate on the North Coast to have strong relationships with local, state and federal partners who are willing to listen and support our efforts.

This week’s tsunami test is a sign of that support — we are the only place in the lower 48 states willing to conduct such a test. What did we learn on Wednesday? The new emergency notification systems still have a few glitches but worked much better than last year. And there is one glaring issue I need to do a better job talking about.

Sirens. Almost all of the sirens on the North Coast worked as intended on Wednesday. The problem is too many of you are confused about their purpose. Let me make this clear — sirens are just one part of the alert system. They are useful in places where a large number of people are likely to be out of doors (like in a harbor) and can’t be easily reached by other systems. You most likely won’t hear them indoors — especially on a foggy day. If you live or work in a tsunami zone, consider acquiring a NOAA Weather radio — it can alert you even when turned off. And remember, none of these official notification systems will work for our biggest threat — the tsunamis that comes from the big one right here. Your warning will be the ground shaking that goes on and on and on.

I don’t know what I will be doing when that earthquake comes. I may be asleep, in the shower, walking on the beach, riding a horse, at a movie or washing dishes. I am sure that it will happen when I least expect it. But I also know that taking a little time today to brush up on my emergency plan really will make a difference when that great big rabbit pops up.

Lori Dengler is a professor in the Geology Department of Humboldt State University, an expert on tsunami education and mitigation, and the co-author of “The Extraordinary Voyage of Kamome.”